Olyd is an itinerant peddler who travels far and wide to make his fortune. More at home on the road than staying in one place, nobody knows from where Olyd hails or if he has a family at all. For his part, Olyd rarely speaks of his home or his troubled past. He's tolerated in the courts of dukes and earls throughout Logres and beyond due to his uncanny ability to gather whatever goods the lords desire. Although often considered uncouth and of low birth, he can even win over a nobly lady with his sharp wit and ready smile. Olyd is surprisingly learned, fluent in 5 languages and well read. His opponents in chess receive the pity of any spectators, for they rarely receive pity from Olyd himself.

In the spring of 485 it was Olyd who approached the steward Cadfael of Boxbourne with an offer to trade the Carlion Tapestry in exchange for the Boxbourne herd of sheep. How Olyd had gained the tapestry was a mystery.